How We Met Our Son
by gatorgirl2008
Summary: How callie and arizona dealwith getting emotionally involved with a small patient
1. Chapter 1

I often wondered as a child especially when being teased by other children on the playground how I ended up with a name like Arizona Robbins. In my opinion it was as bad as my parents naming me New Mexico Hagen-Diaz .But as I grew older & learnt to throw down on the other kids I actually started acting like my name – all sunshiny, happy and positive. Ofcourse it helped that my older brother Austin was big and strong and always on my side to protect me. Infact he was the one who helped me to come out to my parents.

However as I was rolling down the halls of Seattle Grace hospital I was not in a warm , sunshiny Arizona mood , today I was more like Alaska and Sarah Palin. As I realized I was comparing my mood to a politician I chuckled to myself and decided maybe it was time to go home and get some sleep. It had just been a bad day all around .It was Austins two year death anniversary and I lost a small patient I had been treating for a year to a brain tumor .Despite knowing I would end up dreaming about another small coffin and airplane hangers and wake up screaming , I decided to go home and get some sleep. I was just emotionally exhausted and needed to get out of here.

Just as I was about to leave I got a 911 page from Bailey. "So close" I thought to myself before sighing and rushing off to attend to the patient. When I entered the room the sight infront of me almost made my heart stop. I saw a small 6 year old boy in a wheel chair clutching a tiny brown teddy bear. I could see the dried tear stains on his cheek, his sandy blond hair were unkempt and he was crouched over obviously in a lot of pain. My heart literally broke for him , I just wanted to give him a hug and tell him everything would be ok.

Bailey started to explain and present the case " Bernie Smith , 6 years , quadriplegic since birth due to a spinal birth defect, found alone in mothers apartment today by social services with a broken back ".It was then that I noticed a middle aged , jaded social worker standing in the room. I saw that when Bailey or the social worker tried to approach the child he flinched and started crying which was surprising as Bailey normally had a way with children.

I then put on my biggest and kindest smile I could muster and approached him and surprisingly Bernie didn't flinch from me. He just looked at me curiously and shyly with his big blue eyes. I then stroked his soft blond hair and said" Hi Bernie , I'm Arizona I am going to make you all better,so will you be my friend" Bernie just nodded shyly. I then gently asked " Is it ok if we move you to a bed so that we can get a better look at you" Bernie just clutched his teddy bear tighter and answered with a shy smile " Only if skipper can come and if you will move me" My heart melted at his smile and I just said " Skipper is that your teddy bear friend. Ofcourse he can come". Bernie then smiled again and I transferred both him and Skipper from the wheelchair to the bed.

I told Bailey " Page Dr. Torres immediately" and then addressed the social worker " can I speak to you outside for a minute".


	2. Chapter 2

The social worker was a man in his early fifties and he was jaded and tired with his job. He had seen it all by now and a kid like Bernie was no worse than he had dealt with earlier.

As we stepped into my office he cut straight to the point" so you want to know about the kid right". I just nodded and waited for him to continue. He took a deep breath and started " Okay , so the kid has been alone in an apartment for a week. His mother was sent to jail a week ago and the neighbours assumed she had left him somewhere so they didn't check on him. His mom didn't bother to mention he even existed to the authorities when they picked her up so they didnt know about him either. So the kids been basically living off stale canned food and watching TV for a week before one of the neighbours called us last night and we found him".

I was feeling more and more uneasy as I heard about in what condition Bernie was found but I remained silent and waited for the social worker to continue. After a bit of a gap he spoke again "We spoke to the mother earlier today , shes a heroin addict and she has been in and out of jail and correctional facilities for small crimes for years now. The kid was a trick baby and shes never really cared for him.

I was confused so I interrupted him" I'm sorry if I sound uninformed but what is a trick baby". He almost smiles and replies " I keep on forgetting there are still decent people left who don't use these kind of expressions. Trick baby is a baby conceived by a prostitute. She doesn't know who the father is. I might as well tell you , there is also a high possibility of child abuse here. We found bruises all over his body and she beat him with an umbrella almost breaking his back"

By now the bile had completely risen in my throat and I couldn't keep my anger back any longer and I choked out " How is she allowed to retain custody. Why don't the courts take him away from her and send him to a loving foster family". He hesitated for a moment and then answered " They might this time as the judge is quite fed up with her actions . She is also considering giving him up because she doesn't want to be stuck with a crippled child any longer"

I asked him " has he had any psychiatric help?". He just shrugged and answered " Our assessment says that hes normal except for being in a wheelchair." At this point I just wanted him to scream at him and say " How can he be okay or normal if his mother beats him with an umbrella". But I controlled myself as he continued to speak " his mother will out be in two months so after he is discharged from here he will be sent to juvenile hall until his mother gets out."

I felt my anger rising again and I blurted out " Cant you find decent people to adopt him". He just shook his head and answered " Not unless she gives up custody and we cant force her to do that. Plus it will be difficult to find a family who would want to adopt a child in a wheelchair." He then said " keep me posted on his progress Dr. Robbins " and left.

As I walked back to check up on Bernie I was seething with anger at what had happened to that little boy and I was finding it hard to calm myself down. However the sight I saw as I looked into Bernie's room made it a lot easier. I saw the love of my love of my life , my beautiful orthopedic surgeon Calliope Torres sitting next to Bernie and tickling him while he laughed. I was amazed at how comfortable children are with her and how she had won the hurt and frightened childs confidence. I was so intent on gazing at the duo that I almost jumped out of my skin when Calliope remarked with her characteristic smirk " Spying on us , Dr. Robbins?"

I just blushed and entered the room and asked Calliope about her findings. She answered " There is a break in his left arm which I am going to set right now and put a cast and heis going to need physiotherapy for his back injury". With that she moved towards Bernie and said " Okay Champ we are going to fix your arm now". Bernie asked with the smallest voice I had ever heard " Will it hurt" I could see Calliopes heart breaking a bit before she answered " Just a little bit , but I will give you a blue cast and even draw you a superman on it". At the sound of that Bernie visibly cheered and even gave a meek grin before saying " Okay". At that point I was paged and I rushed off leaving Bernie in Calliopes care.

Three hours later I was finished with my shift but Calliope still had an hour left to finish so I decided to visit Bernie while I waited for her. `I walked into his room, sat on the bed next to him and said " Hi Bernie". He gave me a small smile and asked" Where's the cop`" I laughed at this and told him " He's not a cop he's a social worker and he left a while ago.".He just pouted and said "Same thing". My heart was melting at how adorable he was. He then asked " do you have kids". I answered " No , except for the ones here at the hospital". He then asked a question I had been asked by a lot of the kids " Do you have a husband." I just smiled and shook my head. Bernie looked surprised and said " Why not , you are pretty". I just answered " I don't have a husband because I have a special life." At that he just nodded and said sadly " so does my mom". After a little silence he sadly added " my mom is in jail". My heart was breaking for him but I just tried to put on a smile and said " Alright little man , I think you should get some sleep". But he caught hold of my hand and said with big blue eyes looking at me " Can you stay a little longer please". I just nodded and tucked him into his bed , then lay down next to him and started smoothing my hand through his hair so that he would fall asleep. He gave me the sweetest smile. I then embraced him and kissed his forehead my heart full of emotion for this little abandoned boy. As I kissed his forehead he just sleepily whispered " Night Momma……….I Love You". At these words my tears couldn't hold themselves any longer……….these were words I had waited my whole life to hear.

Callie walked up to the nurses station looking for Arizona where they informed her that she was in Bernie's room. As she walked into the room she found both Arizona and Bernie fast asleep on the bed. Arizona was looking so angelic and content sleeping there that Callie didn't have the heart to wake her. Callie just gently smiled and pulled a blanket higher over them. She then sat on the chair next to the bed , held one of Arizona's hands in her own and she too succumbed to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Over the next two weeks Bernie's injuries started to heal nicely but what was even stronger than his recovery was the strength of his affection for Arizona and Callie. The bond between him and the two doctors was obvious for everyone to see. With the permission of the chief Arizona and Callie had actually taken Bernie to see the zoo and other simple outings such as eating French fries in the sun or watching a movie but these were treats the poor little boy had never experienced. What was healing him more than any medicine was the warmth and affection he was getting from the two doctors. They even took him shopping to buy him some smart new clothes. The bruises his mother had inflicted upon him had long healed and the social worker called every week to find out how he was.

At the end of one month when he came out to see Bernie , he looked from Bernie to Arizona and then back again and he was stunned. " What in Gods name did you do to him" he asked her when they were finally alone. Prying Bernie from her side had not been easy but the nurse had finally led him away after promising him a lollipop . " He looks like a completely different child " he added.

"He is a different child" Arizona said proudly. " He's a child who's been loved and it shows". At this point Callie entered the room . Arizona made the introductions " Mr Jenkins this is our orthopedic attending Dr. Calliope Torres and Calliope this is Mr Jenkins the social worker in charge of Bernie's case". Callie shook his hand.

The social worker looked at them sadly " You know hard you've made it for him?" At first they thought he was joking and they started to smile but then they saw that he was serious. Callie knit her brows and asked " What do you mean?" The social worker continued " Do you know what it'll be like for him to go back to a small dirty apartment to a drug addict mother who feeds him stale crackers and beer ".

Arizona took a deep breath and said " We wanted to talk to you about that Mr. Jenkins". "What are the possibilities of not sending him back?" Jenkins just said " But this is a hospital and the courts are paying for his treatment now but he needs to be . He cannot be kept here indefinitely"

Arizona then said " We don't mean like that". She and Callie had discussed this for a couple of weeks because by doing what they were about to suggest they could stand to win everything as they both had fallen in love with that adorable 6 year old boy. They wanted to give him the family he deserved because he completed theirs. They loved him with a kind of depth and feeling they had never even suspected they had. Arizona continued " My partner Calliope and I want to adopt him"

"I See" the social worker said and sat down heavily in a chair. He could clearly see that the two women loved the child. " I don't know Dr. Robbins , I would hate to get your hopes up. His mother may still want him"

A strange light came into Callie's eyes " By what right may I ask Mr. Jenkins? As I recall she abused him not to mention her drug habits". Jenkins didn't know what to say , the truth was that his mother could most likely keep him whether the two doctors liked the idea or not. " The fact is that she's the boys natural mother and the courts lean over backwards to respect that"

"How far do they lean" Arizona's voice was both frightened and cold . It was frightening to have let herself love Bernie as much as she did and now to have to face the possibility that he could leave. The social worker looked at her sadly " To tell you the truth ,they lean pretty far".

Callie squeezed Arizona's hand and asked " Couldn't we do something". He replied " You could. You could hire a lawyer and fight her if she still wants him. But you might lose……you probably will". " What about the boy ? Have you asked him?That could weigh with the court even if he's still very young. A natural mother would have a strong case here no matter how rotten she is." " Asking the boy is your best shot. If he wants to go back to his mother let it go…. But if he wants to stay with you…….I'll go talk to the mother myself…..she may not give you any problem". And then he gave them a hesitant smile " I hope for the sake of both of you she makes it easy as the boy would surely be better off with you".

Callie and Arizona thanked him and said " We'll talk to Bernie". As he was leaving the hospital Jenkins looked into Bernie's room where Callie and Arizona were there with him. At seeing them together even that hardened , tired old social worker had to wipe away a stray tear…. It was incredible to see what had happened to Bernie….. He was clean and happy , laughed all the time now, looked at Arizona and Callie with air of absolute adoration and he actually looked a lot like Arizona with the blond hair and the blue eyes…. Bernie may have found family and happiness at last.

Callie and Arizona waited until after dinner to ask Bernie. They were both trembling inside…..what if he didn't want them? If he wanted to go back to his mother? They weren't sure if they could stand the rejection but they had to ask him

Callie started " I was thinking today what you would think about sticking around here with us….." She hesitated , she hadn't realized it would be this difficult to ask him" You know, kind of like forever…..I mean- "

"You mean stay with you" his eyes grew huge in his little face.

"Yeah that's what I mean"

"Oh wow!" Arizona knew as soon as he said it that he had misunderstood. He thought they just meant an extended stay at the hospital. She knew that she had to tell him it would mean giving up his mom.

"Bernie….." Arizona started as he gave her a hug. " I don't mean like the other kids here." He seemed puzzled. Arizona hesitantly continued " I mean…..I mean…." " We want to adopt you if they'd let us. But you have to want that too. We would never do anything you didn't want" She was now having to fight back tears and Bernie was just staring at them in amazement.

" You mean you want me" He seemed astounded.

Callie ruffled his hair and said " Of course we want you, silly". Arizona hugged him tight and added " You're the best little kid in the whole world"

" What about my mom"

" We don't know Bernie. That would be the hard part" Callie answered.

" Would she come to see me"

Arizona answered " We don't know. Maybe we could arrange that but it would be harder for everyone that way".

Bernie looked frightened and they could feel him trembling …." Would she come and beat me" he whimpered.

"Oh no" Callie let out a cry of anguish. "We wouldn't let her do that"

At that Bernie suddenly started to cry and told them the things that he had never told anyone, about his mother and what she had done to him. When it was over he lay spent cuddled in their arms. The last thing he said to them before his eyes closed were " I want to be yours" That was all Callie and Arizona had wanted to hear……….They now knew their family was complete.


	4. Chapter 4

The next day we called Mr. Jenkins to tell him what Bernie had said. We also told him about the other things Bernie had told us such as the beatings and the neglect , things he had kept bottled up for so long. Jenkins just sounded sad and said " I hate to say it but it doesn't surprise me. Alright I'll talk to the mother and see what I can do. I will get back to you by the evening".

The whole day Arizona and I were on pins and needles waiting for Jenkin's call. Jenkins was hesitating to call them because now he knew that he could do nothing for them. He had spent two hours with the mother trying to reason with her but to no avail. He even tried talking to the counselor at the women's facility where she was being held but even that proved pointless.

So with a heavy heart he called Callie and Arizona. When he called Callie answered , he decided not to beat around the bush and started of with " She wont do it Dr. Torres . I tried everything ….. reasoning , threats but nothing worked. She wants him". I couldn't keep the frustration out of my voice while saying " Why? She doesn't even love him." He replied " She thinks she does. She was abused herself as a child. It's the only way she knows." My only response was " But she'll kill him." Jenkins knew she had a point but all he said was " Maybe or maybe not but we cant do a damn thing till she cooperates." My voice trembled as I asked " But cant we sue for custody?" " Yes , but that doesn't mean you have a chance. She is the natural mother and that does carry a lot of weight in court" Jenkins patiently tried to explain. " But look what we've done for him already. Look at the life he would have with us " I pleaded. " I know that , it makes sense to you and me but there's an element of precedence involved here. You have to convince the judge. I'll refer you the best lawyer and we'll give it our best try but please try and be realistic here. If you lose try and accept it and if you win you get the boy" he replied. At this point I was fuming and thought to myself " Is he crazy? How can he be so callous? Bernie is our son and we are his mothers and that's all that matters." He said he would speak to the lawyer he knew and would send them to the hospital tomorrow. I hung up the phone disheartened but decided not tell Ari right now. She was sleeping after a long , tiring day and I didn't want to disturb her.

The next day I was standing at the nurses station filling out charts when I saw a beautiful red head approach me. " Are you Calliope Torres " she asked with a smile. I was surprised she knew who I was but just said "Yes , I am". She offered her hand and said " I am Amy Davis, a prosecution attorney. Mr. Jenkins referred Bernie's case to me". I then realized she was the lawyer Jenkins was talking about and I shook her hand warmly. She asked if there was anywhere we could discuss the case quietly and I suggested the coffee shop. She agreed and then asked "Isnt Arizona going to be joining us?". I couldn't hide my surprise while asking " You know Arizona?". She just smiled and added " Mr. Jenkins mentioned your names while telling me about the case. As soon as I heard Arizona was involved I knew I had to help. She was a very dear friend of mine. We were roommates in college." I felt my heart drop to my stomach as I realized this was the same Amy Arizona had told me about , the woman that had broken Arizona's heart and trust by cheating on her was the same woman that could help us get our son. I didn't know how to react at this twist of fate and I was scared Arizona would get the shock of her life.

I led Amy to the coffee shop and texted Arizona asking her to join us there as soon as she was out of surgery. She sat down and said " So how long have you and Arizona been together?". I tried my best to be pleasant and answered " Six months.". She added " Are you guys happy together?" This woman was starting to irritate me and I ended up snapping out " Are we not here to discuss the case?". I saw her smirk as if she was happy she had gotten a reaction out of me. I then saw her suddenly get a huge smile on her face , I followed her gaze and saw Arizona enter the café. Amy suddenly got up and rushed to her shouting "Zony" and gave her a big hug and kiss on the cheek. Arizona just looked too shocked to react. Zony …. I normally would have thought how cute but out of Amy's mouth it sounded more disgusting than cute. Arizona finally recovered enough to choke out " Amy what are you doing here?". Amy answered with a big smile " I am the lawyer that's going to represent you in Bernie's custody case. " I decided I needed to take charge of the situation and said" Shouldn't we all sit down?". After we sat down Amy decided to ignore my presence and instead was focussed on trying to draw Arizona into a conversation. Arizona wasn't answering very enthusiastically but Amy still didn't give up and suggested they should go out for dinner and drinks to catch up. By this point I had the strong urge to hit something hard but I just choked out " So the custody case …..shouldnt we be discussing that?" Amy barely looked in my direction before answering " Lets finish our coffees first" and returned her attention to Arizona. Arizona tried to involve me in the conversation but I just gave monosyllabic answers. I normally wasn't a jealous person but this was driving me crazy and I couldn't bring myself to make small talk with a woman so blatantly flirting with my girlfriend. I felt my blood literally boiling and I decided I needed to get out of there. I mumbled something about a surgery and left though my heart sank a little when I saw Arizona's hurt expression.

I headed to the nearest on call room I could find and just sat down with my head in my hands feeling miserable. The boy who I now considered to be my son could be taken away from us and my girlfriends ex was back trying to make the moves on her. Could this day get any worse I wondered to myself .I was sitting there for about 15 minutes until I heard the door open and saw Arizona walk in looking upset. I know all this wasn't really her fault but still I snapped at her " Leave me alone Ari". She just stood her ground and said " No , you do not get to be angry Calliope. You just left me alone out there." I knew I shouldn't be fighting with her but I couldn't stop myself from saying with a roll of my eyes " Didn't want to interrupt your heart to heart with Amy." " I cant believe you are upset over this Calliope. Amy is someone who doesn't mean anything to me anymore but she is the woman that could help us get Bernie. I had to be civil for the sake of our son" Arizona retorted. " Oh you were being more than civil. How would you feel if Erica came back , went all hugs and kissy face on me and ignored your presence?" As I saw Arizona's face fall and her eyes start to fill with tears I realized I may have gone too far but it was too late to take it back now. She spoke in the softest whimper I had ever heard " Do you trust me Calliope? We are trying to build a family together and what kind of family will we have if you cant even trust me. You are the love of my life Calliope and I trust you and need you and if Erica were to come back I would be civil to her for your sake especially if she was the person who could help us get our son.". I didn't know how to react to that. She continued " Are you really ready for a life with Bernie and me because if you were you would have put our son before your anger . In these six months Calliope I have done everything I could to prove to you that you are the one for me but you still expect me to bolt . What else do I have to do to earn your trust?" she cried with tears rolling down her cheeks. I felt horrible now but before I could say anything she continued " I am in this relationship 100% but I need you to need me back" and with that she ran out of the room. I felt the worst I had ever felt in my life. I had hurt the one person who truly loved me and wanted to build a future with me. I just knew that I needed Arizona more than I had ever needed anything in my life and it was time to swallow my pride and show her just how much.

I headed to Arizona's office knowing I would find her there. I walked in and locked the door. I saw her crying at her desk and my heart constricted with pain knowing it was me that had caused those tears to swim in those beautiful blue eyes. She looked up at me and just said " Calliope not now". I just walked up to her and silenced her by placing a finger on her lips. " I need you. I need you _so_ much and I'm sorry that I never told you that enough. I know I behaved like an idiot today but the thought of losing you and Bernie made me crazy. You two complete me . You are the only family I ever need. I know I set up high walls and sometimes push you away but you broke through my defences. You brought me back to life and you are the love of my life. I am bad with words so I am just going to show you how much I need you" I told her hoping that she would feel the truth of every word I spoke.

I deftly shifted Arizona onto her back lying on her desk and found myself above her, one arm holding myself up, one arm finding its way to the side of Arizona's face. I gazed down at her, and in that moment I felt like I was seeing her again for the first time. _'God she is so beautiful__._' was my only thought. Her milky complexion, her perfectly shaped lips, her slender nose and her perfectly shaped eyebrows and those adorable dimples.

All I knew is I needed to feel all of her right now. I swiftly removed her scrub top I let my hands travel up and I cupped Arizona's breast through her bra. I was slowly driving Arizona crazy. My hands traveled south where I started rubbing Arizona through her pants. Arizona's eyes rolled into the back of her head and she threw her head back. She grabbed my head and pulled me in for a passionate kiss. Our tongues began fighting for dominance. I began rubbing Ari harder and her eyes shot open. It was then that she remembers that we were on her office desk. She reached down and grabbed my wrist to stop me , but it just felt too good. I just whispered "You don't really want me to stop…do you?" .Ari tried to stop me again, but I just replied, in a sexy voice…" You're going to lose". Arizona loved it when I took control, and she surrendered to my touch. She closed her eyes and let her head fall back against my arm. I swiftly removed her scrub pants . She let out a breathy chuckle "We're really gonna do this here?". I chuckled back and said "Yeah. Why not?". She just smiled and said "Ok." At that I put my hand inside her panties and slowly started circling her clit. She was drenched, and definitely ready. As soon as she felt my touch she let out a loud moan. I quickly thrust a finger inside of her . and then added a second finger and started a steady rhythm. I kept the rhythm up until I felt her start to tighten. I was pulled in for a heated kiss as I curled my fingers . Ari let out a scream and threw her head back as she exploded all over my fingers. I just held her tight as she came down from her high. I pulled my hand out and licked my fingers clean.

A while later as we were cuddled together on her office couch I suddenly remarked " We need to get you a new laptop because your old one was a casualty of us not behaving ourselves". I pointed towards the laptop which was laying broken on the floor as it had got swiped off the desk when I was lifting Ari onto it. We both just burst out laughing at the sight. I then cheekily remarked " So when are you having dinner with Amy?". Ari just gave me a glazed look and said " Amy , who?". I proudly smirked and said " Mission accomplished". Ari then told me that she had told Amy in no uncertain terms that she loved me and that Amy had to respect that or they would find another lawyer. Upon hearing that I couldn't keep the grin of my face.

We however decided to invite Amy for dinner the next day to discuss the case as keeping Bernie with us was our number one priority and we would do anything to make sure we kept our son safe with us.

Reviews would be most appreciated. Thank you


	5. Chapter 5

The next day Amy came to their house for dinner as planned. She brought a bottle of wine and handed it sheepishly to Callie apologizing for making her feel uncomfortable yesterday. Callie graciously accepted her apology and just jokingly said " Ari is so gorgeous , cant blame you for hitting on her". They all laughed at this though Arizona was also blushing slightly. Over dinner and wine the three women discussed the case." So how do you feel about the case Amy" Callie started. Amy hesitated a bit before answering " Well on the surface I'm not overly optimistic but this is a highly emotional case which could get resolved in an unorthodox way". " In other words we don't have a chance , is that what you are saying?" Arizona asked with tears in her eyes. Amy gave her arm a reassuring squeeze and said " Not really but it wont be easy , I think you two know that already". Arizona nodded saying " We gathered that much from what the social worker said . But dammit this doesn't make sense. That woman is a junkie and a child abuser, how can she even be considered to be Bernie's custodial parent?" Amy sighed and said " Because she's his natural mother". Callie let out a rueful laugh" Everyone keeps on saying that but is that really enough?". " No , but if he were your son , wouldn't you want every chance to keep him , no matter how messed up you were" Amy tried to reason. Callie sighed " but what about what's good for Bernie?" Amy gave a slight smile before answering " That's going to be our best argument. If you don't mind I want to meet Bernie. I think the biggest part of our case is going to hinge on Bernie's sorroundings here and Bernie's interaction with you so I need to see that so I can make the best case possible". They invited her for Christmas lunch in a couple of day's time so that she could see Bernie spending time with them.

Bernie seemed a little annoyed and scared when they mentioned that another grown up would be joining them for Christmas lunch. Arizona just smiled at him and said " Don't worry , she is not a cop". Bernie sheepishly smiled and asked "How did you know that was what I thought?". Arizona ruffled his hair and laughed" Because I know you , my little munchkin , now lets go get you ready". They shared Christmas lunch in peace and for the first time in Bernie's life he had the kind of Christmas children dreamed of. There were presents stacked high in boxes , games and puzzles ,a bright red fireman suit with a hat for him to wear and even a new sweater for his teddy bear. Callie had dressed up as Santa bringing a huge smile to Bernie's face. At night as they were tucking Bernie into bed he sadly asked " Do you think she can help us?" . They had explained to him who Amy was and what she was going to do. Callie gave him a hug and said " I really hope so Bernie, we'll see". " What if she cant do it" Bernie said worriedly. " Then we'll kidnap you and hide in the mountains" Ari teased him and his eyes sparkled at hearing that. As they were leaving the room Arizona asked Callie in a small voice " Cant we kidnap him". Callie took her into her arms and they tried to reassure each other that they would never lose Bernie.

A few days later was the day of the hearing. Callie and Arizona tried to make sure Bernie was ok before they headed to the courthouse. " Are you scared" he asked them. Callie answered with a small smile " A little , are you?" . "Yeah , a lot. What if she hits me ?" his blue eyes were filled with terror. Arizona held him close and said in a reassuring voice " We wont let her". " What if she takes me away" he continued still scared. " She wont " they reassured him but this was the question that haunted both Callie and Arizona …..what if they let her take him away. They couldn't promise him that this wouldn't happen and they didn't want to lie to him. They had already told him that if they lost they would appeal it , if that was what he wanted and if he wanted to be with his mommy that was okay too. It tore their heart out to give him that option but they didn't want to steal him from his own mother. They wanted him to come to them with an open heart. Arizona kissed his cheek and said " It'll be alright sweetheart , you'll see".

Outside the courthouse Amy , Mark , Cristina and Bailey were waiting for them. Callie and Arizona looked very respectable in black and pale blue woolen dresses. They had bought Bernie new clothes especially for the occasion , little black slacks with a matching jacket and a pale blue turtle neck sweater which accidentally matched Arizona's dress. Arizona and Bernie looked very much like mother and son with their blonde hair and blue eyes.

The hearing took place in a small courtroom and the judge entered , wearing glasses and a quiet smile. He was a man in his early sixties and was widely admired for his fairness and kindness to children. He had profound respect for children and natural mothers and often encouraged women to think over their decisions before they gave away their babies. He looked at the two doctors and Bernie with interest but a few minutes later his attention was diverted to a tiny , fragile looking young woman who entered the courtroom with her attorney. She was wearing a grey skirt and a white blouse and looked more like a school girl than a drug addict or thief. They then learnt that she was only 24. She had a kind of fragile beauty and looked like the kind of girl who couldn't take care of herself. One would want to instantly cherish and protect her. Callie and Arizona thought this was why Bernie felt sorry for her even after she beat him. He wanted to help her instead of expecting her to help him. The judge stressed before the proceedings began that everyone's goal was the ultimate good of the child. The judge offered the option to have Bernie removed , but Callie and Arizona had already discussed it with him. He had said he wanted to be there. They noticed that he never let his eyes look towards his mother , as though he was afraid to acknowledge her presence. He kept his hands in Callie's and Arizona's and his eyes towards the judge.

The opposing attorney called Bernie's mother as his first witness , it was then that Callie and Arizona realized what they are up against. A sweet face , a soft voice , a sob story from beginning to end and the assurance that this time she had learnt her lesson and how she had read psychology books to learn more about herself and how to help her son. Amy put on record that she would cross examine later so the next witness was called. It was a psychiatrist who had examined Bernie's mother and declared her to be a warm young woman who had had an unfortunate youth. He felt that she had no intention of hurting her child but had been under enormous pressure financially. The opposing attorney also called a doctor who attested to the mother's health and to the fact that she was no longer addicted to drugs .Last of all he called a priest who had known the mother for years and had in fact baptized Bernie. He said he felt absolutely certain that the child belonged with his mother who loved him.

Amy had cross examined all the witnesses except for the priest and the mother. She had managed to find loopholes in all their testimonies. She however refused to cross examine the priest telling them that it would be futile to refute his testimony. She however had made the other testimonies look shady as she interrogated them with almost an air of amusement and derision. But none of that came even close to what she did to Bernie's mother. At this point Callie and Arizona insisted that Bernie be taken out of the courtroom as they didn't want him to witness this. By the end of the testimony , the mother was shaking in her seat and crying. It was made clear that she had discovered drugs at 13 , been arrested for prostitution at 16 , gotten pregnant with Bernie at 18 and had been in seven drug programs and had been arrested nine times. Her attorney protested " the court must keep in mind that this woman is no longer addicted , she has just been through an arduous state run drug program , and if we say that she is not rehabilitated , we are in fact saying our system of rehabilitation does not work". The objection was sustained and her arrest record was stricken but the rest stayed.

From their side Amy called Jenkins the social worker who told the court about Bernie's miraculous transformation under Callie and Arizona's care , Callie and Arizona themselves who spoke of their love for Bernie and the stable home they would provide for him. The opposing attorney tried to create an issue of them being unmarried but Amy objected and put a stop to that. Amy also called a few Seattle Grace doctors to the stand who spoke about how Callie and Arizona were good and kind doctors and human beings and would prove to be wonderful mothers to Bernie.

The final witness was the hardest as it was Bernie himself. He had a look of terror on his face as he was questioned….. What his life was like with his mother , what his life was like with Callie and Arizona , how his mother provided for him, what Callie and Arizona bought and gave him and then suddenly " Are you afraid of your mother , Bernie?" . The question itself frightened him so much that he shrank back in his wheelchair , holding his teddy , shaking his head " No……..No". " Does she ever beat or hit you?" There was no answer and he was asked to speak up. He finally croaked out " No". Callie and Arizona closed their eyes in despair. They understood what he was doing. He would not tell the truth till his mother was there. The judge asked them all to return the next morning so that he could deliver the verdict.

That night Callie and Arizona just held Bernie close as he slept. They didn't know how on earth they were going to give him to his mother if they had to. As they lay in bed that night they realized that they couldn't and it would kill them. All they could do was believe in justice and hope for the best.

The next day the judge began the proceedings by explaining to Bernie that he had listened to all the evidence and had tried to make the decision that would ensure Bernie's happiness. He then turned to Callie and Arizona and praised them for their effort with Bernie and said that their efforts were admirable. He said their intentions were excellent and they would provide well for Bernie. He conceded that Bernie had had a difficult life with his mother but he was now certain especially after talking to the priest that Bernie's mother had found her feet at last.. He then announced in a booming voice " The court rules in favor of the natural mother". Bernie's mother ran to him almost knocking of his wheelchair. All Callie and Arizona could see was Bernie flailing wildly trying to move away from her. " Cal………..Ari" It was a plaintive wail that broke their heart and they wanted to rush to him but Mark and Cristina were holding them back. " Let go….we need to see him" they yelled but Mark and Cristina wouldn't let go.

Bernie's mother and her lawyer led Bernie out of the courtroom. Bernie turned back in anguish towards Callie and Arizona with a grief stricken face , tears rolling down his cheeks . "Cal……….Ari" he kept calling out. " We love you Bernie….its okay " they called out till he was gone. They then collapsed into each others arms sobbing. Amy stood next to them and said " I'm so sorry ……we can appeal it." They just shook their head saying "No….. No, we cant do that to him". Mark and Cristina suggested they should all go home. Callie and Arizona just nodded and held each other as they walked out of the courtroom. There was no reason for them to stay there anymore.. For Callie and Arizona it felt like it was all over……………..they had lost their son.

A/N : Reviews are most appreciated. Thank you


	6. Chapter 6

A/N : Reviews are most appreciated. This is the last part of this story. I am thinking of writing a sequel which would include important events in Calzone's and Bernie's life.

For the next week after the hearing Callie and Arizona took leave from work and stayed locked up in their apartment , never leaving the building and on the first day not even leaving their room. Mark and Cristina came over a lot and tried everything to cheer their friends up and even though Callie and Arizona smiled a little for the benefit of their friends, Mark and Cristina could easily see the heavy sadness in their eyes. Amy had come by to pick up the rest of Bernie's things to return to the social worker for Bernie but they refused to see her so Mark brought Bernie's things to her. " Will they be alright" Amy asked Mark with a look of sorrow. Mark just shook his head with tears in his eyes " I don't know. They are tough but they've both lost a lot in life. And now this……you don't know how much they love that little boy". Amy nodded sadly " Yes , I do". For the first time in her career as she had left the courthouse last week , she had stepped on the gas as hard as she could and had cried too. " I would like to see them when they are ready and talk about an appeal. I really think it would be worth it. I can't believe that the court ruled in favor of a prostitute and a drug addict just because she's the natural mother against women like Arizona and Callie. I want to take this one all the way to the supreme court" said Amy with anger in her voice. "I'll tell them when I see them" Mark looked as though he approved.

A week later Arizona was woken by the phone ringing . "Zony" It was Amy and she sounded excited at the other end. " Hi" Arizona was still half asleep. " Whats up?" She then realized that Amy probably wanted to discuss the appeal . She and Callie had decided that they didn't want to put Bernie through the ordeal again. They had spoken to the social worker twice , he had told them that Bernie was having a tough time readjusting and that he wanted to come back to them , but there was nothing he could do and that he had told Bernie as much the last time he'd stopped by his moms house. They had tried to ask if his mother was being decent to him but Jenkins was vague and just said that he assumed she was.

Arizona was broken from her thoughts when Amy said " Zony , I want you and Callie to come to my office". " We don't want to discuss the appeal , Amy" Arizona sat up in bed with an unhappy frown . " There's no point. We wont do it." " I understand that but there are some other matters we have to work out" Amy responded. "Like what" Arizona sounded suspicious. " There are some papers you guys didn't sign" Amy explained. " Send them to us" Arizona said . " I cant "Amy said. Arizona was now irritated. She was tired and it was early. She then realized it was Sunday. "What are you doing calling us to your office on a Sunday ,Amy " she said sounding annoyed. " Please , just do it for me. I would be very grateful". At the sound of that Arizona started to panic " Is something wrong with Bernie? Is he hurt ? Did she beat him again?" Arizona felt her heart race but Amy was quick to reassure her " No , no , its nothing like that. I'm sure he's fine. I would just appreciate winding it up today that's all." " Amy " Arizona sighed looking at the clock. It was seven in the morning. " Personally I think you're demented. But you were a big help and you tried so we'll be there. What exactly do you need us to sign?" Amy casually replied" Oh just some papers saying that you don't want to appeal ." Arizona felt annoyed again " Why the hell cant you mail them". " I am too cheap to buy a stamp" Amy quipped. Arizona laughed at that" You're 'll be there after lunch". " No , come in at 9 am". Arizona protested " That's early. You want us to come in our nighties , Amy ". Amy laughed " That would be nice. See you at nine".

Arizona woke Callie up and told her and she was just as annoyed " Why the hell cant she just mail us the stuff?" "I don't know but if we have to do it might as well do it today. We don't have time all week. We both have lots of surgeries planned". Callie just nodded still half asleep " Alright , We'll leave in an hour". Arizona was ready 45 minutes later and was waiting for Callie who finally came out wearing jeans and a red sweater with a red ribbon in her hair. " You look like a valentine , Calliope" said Arizona with a grin. " I feel more like a Halloween. I don't know why the hell we have to go to her office on a Sunday morning" Callie scowled. When they reached Amy's office she seemed terribly jumpy and hyper and insisted that they had to go to the courthouse as she had forgotten some of the papers there. "Courthouse on a Sunday? Amy have you been drinking" said Arizona not at all amused. "Just trust me for God's sake" Amy retorted. " If we didn't we wouldn't be here" said Callie looking at her suspiciously and drove to the courthouse.

When they got there Amy suddenly looked as though she knew what she was doing. She flashed a pass at the guard , the guard nodded and let them in. Amy led them to a brightly lit room with a uniformed warden at the desk and a policeman talking to her. Suddenly Callie and Arizona gave a gasp and a shriek and raced towards him. It was Bernie , sitting in his wheelchair with his teddy , looking dirty again but wearing his good suit and a grin as soon as he saw them. They held him tight for a long time and felt him tremble in their arms. He said nothing and all they kept saying was " We love you Bernie….We love you angel….its alright,….". They didn't know how long they would be able to see him, if it would be a minute or an hour or a day, but they didn't care , they would give him everything they had for as long as they could , for as long as they were allowed to.

"My mom's dead". Bernie stared at them and said the words as though he didn't understand what they meant. They then noticed that there were deep circles under his eyes and a nasty bruise on his neck." What happened " They looked horrified as much by what they saw as by what he had said." What do you mean" but Amy came towards them and took their arm gently. "She overdosed two days ago. The police found Bernie alone at the house last night." " Was she there " Their eyes were wide as they held Bernie's hands. " No, she was somewhere else. Bernie was alone at the apartment. The cops called the judge last night about Bernie , because they weren't sure if they should put him in juvenile hall and the judge called me. He said he'd meet us here this morning with Bernie's file. Ladies , its going to be all over" Amy said with tears in her eyes. " Right now. Can he do that ?" they asked .

Amy nodded " Yes , he can reverse his decision based on what has just occurred. Bernie won't have to go through all the business of becoming a ward of the court on an interim basis. He's yours , ladies." She turned and looked at the small child in the wheelchair , holding Callie's and Arizona's hands. " You've got your son " . It had been two weeks since they had seen him wheeled , screaming from the courtroom , and now he was theirs. They reached out and pulled him onto Callie's knees and held him , sobbing openly now and laughing and kissing him and stroking his hair. He slowly began to understand and he held them and kissed them and in a quiet moment he touched each of their faces with his small hand and said " I love you , Mom." The judge arrived 30 minutes later and they took care of all the paperwork. By this point Callie , Arizona and Amy were crying , the judge was grinning and Bernie waved his teddy bear at the judge with a huge grin as they wheeled him out. " So long " he shouted and when they had gone the judge was laughing and crying too.

" And then I'm going to eat ice cram and play with my train and my fire engine and….." " Take a bath" Arizona filled in for him with a grin. She and Callie were so happy at the gift they had been given that they were laughing and giggling almost hysterically. Callie then looked at Bernie with a big grin " Guess what you're going to do in a few weeks". " What?" he looked excited , despite the dark circles under his eyes. " You're going to school" Callie told him. "Why ?" he looked less than pleased. "We just decided". " But I didn't before" it was a whine just like that of any child and Callie and Arizona exchanged a grin. " That's because before you were special and now you're regular" they teased him. " Cant I be special again" he pouted. Callie gave him a gentle smile " You'll always be special buddy. But now we can live a regular life. We don't have to worry about you going away , or being taken anyway or anything. You can go to school just like other kids." "But I want to stay home with you" he whined. " You can for a while , but then you've got to go to school. Don't you want get smart like Cal and me" Arizona was giggling again. Suddenly Bernie laughed too and groaned at what she said " You guys are not smart…..you're just my moms now". " Thanks a lot" they pouted.

When they got home they baked cookies and read him a bedtime story before he went to sleep in the room next to theirs. Before they had finished it , he was snoring softly. They stayed like that for a long time , just watching him sleep and stroking his hair and thanking God for bringing him back to them. " Austin" Callie said suddenly. " Huh" Arizona asked confused." We should name him Austin" Callie explained. Bernie had requested for them to change his name and they realized that he wanted to start life afresh with a clean state. Arizona swallowed the lump in her throat , she was really touched that Callie wanted to name him after her dead older brother. She responded with a huge grin " How about Austin George Robbins-Torres". Callie replied with a soft smile " Perfect " and they sealed the deal with a kiss. That night all three of them slept peacefully. Callie and Arizona finally had their son and Bernie had finally found safety and comfort with his mommy ( Callie) and mama (Arizona). Their little family was blissful and complete.


End file.
